College Spotlight – Purdue University – West Lafayette

Purdue University, founded in 1869, is a public institution that is ranked among the best colleges in the United States. It is a land-grant university that is recognized for its research in science, engineering and technology, especially its renowned School of Aeronautics and Astronautics within the College of Engineering. The campus at West Lafayette is made up of twelve schools and colleges that serve both undergraduate and graduate scholars.

Location

• Purdue University, set in the city, has a campus size of 2,468 acres
• Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this location is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system

Stats

• Public, Coed
• City/urban setting
• No religious affiliation
• Semester-based academic calendar
• Total enrollment: 39,409, including undergraduate enrollment: 29,497 students
• Endowment of $2,393,734,900
• 12:1 student–faculty ratio
• The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 92%
• 57% of students are male, 43% of students are female

Estimated Tuition

• In-state tuition and fees: $10,002 (one school year)
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $28,804 (one school year)

Housing

• 38% of students live in residence housing that is affiliated, owned, or operated by the university
• 62% of students live off campus

Student Life and Activities

• Almost 20% of students are affiliated with Greek organizations
• Purdue offers a wide variety of organizations and activities for students
• Organizations include performance groups such as the “All American” Marching Band, two symphony orchestras, and four jazz bands 

Athletics

• Athletic teams, the Boilermakers, compete in the Division I Big Ten Conference
• The athletics department is known for dominating both women’s and men’s basketball teams

Fun Facts:

• Notable alumni include popcorn mogul Orville Redenbacher, the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary basketball coach, John Wooden
• The Boilermaker Special, the official mascot, is a railroad locomotive maintained by the Purdue Reamer, a student-run club
• Twenty-two of America’s astronauts hold Purdue degrees

Application Information

• Rolling deadline
• Early action deadline is November 1
• $60 application fee
• Acceptance Rate: 59%

Purdue University-West Lafayette, one of the country’s premier institutions, boasts of more than 200 areas of study and research initiatives. The university is widely recognized for its notable College of Engineering, College of Education, College of Pharmacy, and Krannet School of Management. Although Purdue is a large university situated in an urban metropolis, it still maintains an intimate community with students representing all 50 states and from more than 130 countries.

To learn more about Purdue University, visit http://www.purdue.edu